By: Ashmar Mandou

On Friday, July 29th Pebbles Cereal donated $15,000 to two Chicago non-profit organizations during at art evet in Little Village. Pebbles Cereal teamed up with local artist Epifanio Monarrez to paint a vibrant mural in Little Village Park. With the help of 100 children from the Little Village Boys & Girls Club. “Every community needs its residents to have a stake in the development of their neighborhood for the better. At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, we feel that community youth plays an essential role in creating a safe and positive environment. With positive mentors and role models like our professional staff, we strive to instill the value of “giving back” in every child who walks through our door. It truly does take a village to raise a child – as the old proverb states, and giving children opportunities like this early on is beneficial to both the development of youth and the community,” said Little Village Boys & Girls Director Angel Rivera. “In a community where often times the negative is focused on more than the positive, I truly enjoy being a big part of the positive side of such a vibrant community like Little Village. Working here and in the community has given me the opportunity to impact the youth of this community and hopefully in turn given the community a brighter future.” I hope residents will feel proud of the mural as it represents the community. It is my hope that my mural, which Pebbles helped bring to life, will inspire residents to continue to work together to achieve equality and advance the quality of life in the neighborhood of Little Village,” said Artist Monarrez. In recognition of their accomplishment, Pebbles Cereal donated $15,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago and the Little Village Environmental Organization.

Photo Credit Annette Gonzalez- Malkin